Applications for the 2025 NextGen Classic are now open

The U-25 NextGen Classic is back for another season with prize money, high-performance funds and training on the line. 

The Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton will host the event again, with a series of men’s women’s and mixed doubles events running from Aug. 26-31, 2025.

“The U-25 NextGen Classic has become a cornerstone in Curling Canada’s commitment to building the next generation of elite athletes,” said Helen Radford, Curling Canada’s Manager of NextGen and Podium Pathway. “Now in its fourth year, the event continues to gain momentum, providing young curlers with meaningful competition, access to high-performance support, and a pathway toward national and international success. It’s exciting to see how this event is shaping the future of our sport.”

Event alumni include 2025 Montana’s Brier skips Rylan Kleiter, Sam Mooibroek, and Owen Purcell. On the women’s side, members of the 2025 FISU World University Games bronze-medal team, skipped by Serena Gray-Withers, also competed. In mixed doubles, Jessica Zheng and Victor Pietrangelo earned FISU bronze and took part in the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials, alongside fellow NextGen duo Paige Papley and Evan Van Amsterdam.

The men’s and women’s events run from Aug. 26-28 and feature 12 teams of each gender competing in two pools of six. All teams will be guaranteed five games within their pool, with four teams advancing into a single-elimination playoff. 

The champions in the men’s and women’s events will earn coveted spots in Curling Canada’s National NextGen Program for the 2025-26 season, which includes $6,000 in program funding and access to Curling Canada’s National Coaches, among other benefits. 

The runner-up teams will receive a $4,000 prize, and the semifinalists each earn $2,500.

The men’s and women’s events will consist of 12 teams each: 10 teams from the Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS), the 2025 New Holland Canadian Under-20 Champions (Team Myla Plett of Edmonton and Sherwood Park, Alta., and Team Calan MacIsaac of Halifax) and one team of each gender selected by a Curling Canada selection panel.

To be eligible, teams must have a combined age of 100 or less as of June 30, 2025. Additionally, participating teams must commit to competing in a minimum of five tour events, plus men’s or women’s provincial/territorial playdowns, during the 2025-26 season.

Next, the U-25 Mixed Doubles event will run from Aug. 29-31, featuring 20 teams vying for the championship. Teams will compete in four pools of five and play four games within their pool and one cross-over game against a team from another pool. Eight teams will advance to the single-elimination playoffs.

Like the men’s and women’s winners, the mixed doubles champion will receive a berth into Curling Canada’s NextGen Program for the upcoming season, with $3,000 in program funding and access to Curling Canada’s National Coaches, among other benefits. 

The second-place team receives $2,000, the semifinalists earn $1,250, and the quarterfinalists take home $750.

Sixteen teams will be selected from the Canadian Mixed Doubles Rankings (CMDR), and a Curling Canada selection panel will choose four teams. 

Mixed doubles teams must have a combined age of 50 or under as of June 30, 2025. They must also commit to competing in at least two tour events, plus their mixed doubles provincial/territorial championship OR an additional tour event during the upcoming season.

All games at the men’s/women’s and mixed doubles events will be eight ends and streamed live on Curling Stadium. 

Applications are now being accepted, with a deadline of 11:59 P.M. ET on June 7th. Successful teams will be notified by June 10 and must submit the event entry fee ($800 for men’s/women’s, $400 for mixed doubles) to Curling Canada by June 20.

For more information, please get in touch with Helen Radford, Manager of Curling Canada’s NextGen Program at [email protected].

Register now: